Traffic or display sign



Nov. 16, 1948. 1 J. J. H-AMMER 2,454,162

TRAFFIC OR DISPLAY SIGN Filed April 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYNov. 16, 1948. J. J. HAMMER TRAFFIC on DISPLAY SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 12, 1946 Patented Nov. 16, 1948 UNITED PATENT OFFICE TRAFFICR DISPLAY SIGN John J .lHammer, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,550

'TClaims. 1

This invention "relates to signs particularly adapted for traiiicor'advertising purposes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sign which isvisible onlywhen and as desired or required which may be employed as atrafiic'control unit for'suc'h purposes as toshow No Turn or 20 MPH orthe" like during rush trafiic hours, also asa general purpose signftosh'ow'intermittently advertising or direction indicating indicia.

' Other objects of theinvention will become apparent by reference to thefollowing detailed description'taken in connection with theaccompanyingdrawings, in which:

(Fig. 1.is an elevation view of a sign embodying the invention'with thesign panels thereof .in theirvisible position and with portions thereofbroken away to illustrate the construction and mechanism employed.

Fig. a bottomelevational'view with portions broken away to illustratethe construction more clearly. I

Fig. 3 isa view part in elevation and part in sectionsimilar to Fig. 1except thesignfpanels are shown in their retracted position.

Fig, 4 is a fragmentary View in perspective with the sign turned upsidedown showing sign panel controlmechanism preferably employed.

Fig. 5 isan enlarged elevational view of the double solenoid sign panelmoving mechanism 0 preferably employed.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 6-45 of Fig; 5.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numeralsrefer to like andcorresponding parts throughout the several views, theillustrativeembodiment of the invention shown in the drawings comprisesa housing ill, light channels H formed round the periphery of thesaid'housing' Ill, lighting means it disposed in said light channels, aplurality of signpanels Ithinged independing relationship from saidhousing [0 visible from the sides thereof, meansl l constantly urging.the said panels into their depending visiblelposition, means '96for-retracting saidlsign panels i3 tea substantially horizontal obscureposition Ml 3i! and for releasing. said sign panels i3 fromssaidr horizontal obscure position l-3llto their visible. position, and timingmeans l-Fi forcausingsaid sign panels to beretracted to and releasedfrom their obscure position :at desired intervals.

The said housing viii shown square in the drawings may be square,rectangular, triangular or trapezoidal inshap e. Light channels ll.prefer ably arcuateninoshapey: are uformedearound the periphery of thesign in such a manner as to refiectlight onto depending sign panels l3from electric lights or other suitable lighting means I2 preferablyconnected to a source of electric current s through the timing means I6by a pair-of suitable leads ll. In the particular embodiment of theinvention shown, the sig panels [3 are hinged at l8 on the lower end ofhinge brackets 19 depending from the top of the housing In and locatedat the extreme ends of the said sign pan- 'els I 3. The sign panels l3are so shaped as to permit them to be retracted from a substantiallyvertical depending visible position indicated inthe drawings by thenumeral l3 to a substantially horizontal retracted obscure positionindicated by thenumeral I30. Spring means such as the leaf springs 14secured to the housing I!) constantly urge the sign panels Is to theirdependingvis-lble position and are sufficiently resilient to permit thesaid sign panels it to be pivoted to theirretracted obscure position130.

The top of the sign housing [0 is preferably paneled upwardly in thecentral portion thereof as indicated by the numeral I00 to accommodatemeans l5 for retracting the said sign panels to their horizontal obscureposition I30 and for re leasing the said sign panels for pivoting bytheleaf spring [4 to their depending visible position I3. This signoperating mechanism comprises a pair of spaced solenoidsZU and 2| havinga common preferably square armature'22 therein which reciprocates fromone solenoid tothe other responsive to alternate energization thereof.The said solenoids "20 and 2| are secured tothe panel I00 of the housingI0 by suitable straps; 33 and are prevented from moving outwardly bymeans of stops 34 welded to the said panel IUOof the housing In. A cablearm 23 is telescoped transversely through the armature 22- and is fixedtherein by means of the stud 24. This cable arm 23 is provided with aplurality of bores '25 int0 which sign panel operating cables 26, 21, 28and 29 are fixed. The said cable arm 23 acts as a stop to limit theextent of reciprocation of the armature 22 when the said cable arm 23 ismoved by the armature 22 against the bumpers 200 and2'lll of thesolenoids '20 and '2! respectively. A spring detent 30 cooperating withnotches 3| formed in the armature 22. As best indicated in Figs. 2 and4, the sign panel operating cableszfi, 21, 28 and 29 are each connectedthrough suitable pulleys 32 to sign panels l3 and are of such lengthasto-permit the sign panels I3to be moved by the leaf spring to asubstantially vertical depending relationship with respect to the signbody [0. When the solenoid armatures 22 and cable arm 23 are in theposition indicated by the numeral 22 in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the said signpanels l3 are released to their visible depending position and aremaintained in such position by the leaf springs M, the operating cables26, 21, 28 and 29 and the spring detent 30. When the armature 22 is inthe position indicated by the numeral 220 in Figs. 2 and 3, the signpanels 13 are retracted to their obscured horizontal position and aremaintained in such position by the operating cables 26, 21, 28 and 29and the spring detent 30. Obviously means other than or in addition tothe operating cables 26, 21, 28 and 29 may be employed to limit theextent of pivotal movement of the sign panels l3 by the leaf springs M.

To move the sign panels [3 from their visible depending position l3 totheir obscure horizontal position I30, solenoids 20 and 2| arealternately energized which may be accomplished by any known means suchas the timing means l6 through which curent from a source S isalternately provided to solenoids 20 and 2| through leads 2000 and 2100and through which current for lighting the electric lighting means I2 issupplied when the sign panels 13 are disposed in their visible dependingposition. Timing switch means such as the timing means 15 are well knownin the time switch art and need not be herein described in detail. Thesaid timing means l6 may be mounted in the sign itself or, if moreconvenient, it may be incorporated in a separate switch box locatedremote therefrom.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed anddescribed in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in thesize, shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of theinvention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as definedby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A trailic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of signpanels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lightingmeans within said housing adapted to illuminate said sign panels whendisposed in their depending visible relationship, spring meansconstantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible position,and solenoid means for retracting said panels to an obscure position.

2. Atraffic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of signpanels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lightingmeans within said housing adapted to illuminate said sign panels whendisposed in their depending visible relationship, spring meansconstantly urging said sign panels to their depending visible position,and solenoid means operable responsive to timing means for retractingsaid panels to an obscure position.

3. A traffic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of signpanels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lightingmeans within said housing adapted to illuminate said sign panels whendisposed in their depending visible relationship, spring meansconstantly urging said sign panels to their depending visiblerelationship, and solenoid means including an armature to which saidsign panels are connected for raising said sign panels to an obscureposition.

4. A traffic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of signpanels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, springmeans constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visiblerelationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow coresdisposed in allignment in said housing, a common armature posi tionedwithin said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable therein responsive toalternate energization of said solenoids, linkage between said armatureand said sign panels causing the said sign panels to be raised to theirobscure position and released to their visible position responsive tosaid alternate energization of said solenoids, and means for energizingfirst one solenoid and then the other.

5. A traflic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of signpanels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, springmeans constantly urging said sign panels to their depending visiblerelationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow coresdisposed in allignment mounted in said housing, a common armaturepositioned within said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable thereinresponsive to alternate energization of said solenoids, linkage betweensaid armature and said sign panels causing said sign panels to be raisedto their obscure position and released to their visible positionresponsive to said alternate energization of said solenoids, means forenergizing first one solenoid and then the other, and means forreleasably retaining said armature and sign panels linked thereto in thelast position to which they are moved by the energization of one or theother of the said solenoids.

6. A traffic or displa sign comprising a housing, a plurality of signpanels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lightingmeans within said panels adapted to illuminate said sign panels whendisposed in their depending visible relationship, spring meansconstantly urging said sign panels to their depending visiblerelationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow coresdisposed in allignment mounted in said housing, a common armaturepositioned with said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable thereinresponsive to alternate energization of said solenoids, linkage betweensaid armature and said sign panels causing the said sign panels to beraised to their obscure position and released to their visible positionresponsive to said alternate energization of said solenoids, and meansfor energizing first one solenoid and then the other.

7. A traflic or display sign comprising a housing, a plurality of signpanels disposed in depending visible relationship therefrom, lightingmeans within said panels adapted to illuminate said sign panels whendisposed in their depending visible relationship, spring meansconstantly urging said sign panels to their depending visiblerelationship, a pair of spaced solenoids having their hollow coresdisposed in allignment mounted in said housing, a common armaturepositioned within said hollow cores reciprocatingly movable thereinresponsive to alternate energization of said solenoids, linkage betweensaid armature and said sign panels causing said sign panels to be raisedto their obscure position and released to their visible positionresponsive to said alternate energization of said solenoids, means forenergizing first one solenoid and then the other, and means forreleasably retaining said armature and sign panels linked thereto in thelast position to which they are moved by the energization of one 01' theother of the said solenoids.

JOHN J. HAMMER.

(References on following page) 5 REFERENCES CITED Number The followingreferences are of record in the file of thls patent: 1,160,913 UNITEDSTATEQ PATENTS 5 1,308,658 Number Name Date 13765973 640,153 Yaxley eta1 Dec. 26, 1899 6 Name Date Smith Feb. 24, 1903 Simpson Sept 17, 1912Ledermann Nov. 16, 1915 Carr July 1, 1919 Hester et a1. June 17, 1930

